Rutgers 4th Annual Training Showcase, which helps state businesses connect to millions of dollars available in state grant funds for employee training, will be held on July 21 on the New Brunswick campus. Hosted by the Rutgers Workforce Development Unit (WDU), part of NJAES Office of Continuing Professional Education, this free event provides prospective New Jersey employers the opportunity to preview “mini” training courses, so they can get a feel for which courses will be appropriate for their employees, and guides them through the grant application process.

Corporate training funds are often limited but the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development is committed to retaining highly skilled and high-wage jobs in New Jersey, providing training grants for many of these courses. The Rutgers WDU staff is familiar with the entire grant-funded training system and helps to guide participating employers through the various steps, from determining eligibility and completing an application to developing a training schedule and creating customized courses and certificate programs. Since its first training showcase in 2013, Rutgers WDU has assisted hundreds of organizations in securing $15 million dollars in grant funding to improve the skills of their employees

Training grant recipient Paula Boss, director of training and development for ShopRite of Hunterdon County, explains, “The grant process is very difficult, very long, and very arduous, but [the Rutgers] team made it very easy. They streamline the process and make it painless.”

“They are willing to work with you to create training that is exactly what you need,” said David Bussiere, leader of selection and development at QuickChek Corporation. “This is a partnership that I value, and they are a reason for my success and our company’s success.”

Rutgers Workforce Development banner.

Beyond their experience working with food industry clients such as ShopRite and QuickChek, the Rutgers WDU team has successfully secured grant funds for employee training in the fields of healthcare (Raritan Bay Medical Center and Saint Peter’s Healthcare System), financial services (Two River Community Bank and Marlin Business Services Corp.), and retail (including Toys”R”Us), among many others.

Christina Kelder, a Human Resources Generalist with Girl Scouts Heart of New Jersey, explains that attending the 2014 training showcase helped her make the decision to work with Rutgers WDU. “We got to meet some of the great trainers, mingle, and learn about Rutgers and the grant offerings. It seemed like too good an opportunity to pass up!” she said. “To have some of the top professionals in the field be able to come in and speak to our organization and make it relevant to what we’re going through — it’s really awesome.”

At the 4th Annual Training Showcase event, participants will have the opportunity to: